The Colorado Department of Transportation has a very serious flaw on one of its new “traffic calming islands” on Camino del Rio.

I drive a full-size pickup, nothing special. Driving north, in the inside lane, as I approach the 12th Street intersection and the pedestrian crossing light, the new traffic island is jutting out into my lane of traffic. It was pre-Christmas and traffic was heavy. I had to steer to the right to avoid hitting the island and curb. Also I had to avoid sideswiping the large food services truck in the right outside lane. Had I slowed down too much, I could have caused a multi-car pileup behind me.

It was like hold your breath, pucker up some upholstery and squeeze through that narrow space. To make matters worse, it is on a curve. The configuration of that end of the island is just plain wrong. It pinches traffic into a narrow space.

CDOT needs to address this hazard ASAP, as in now! At least cut off 3 or 4 feet of this protrusion now, put out some orange barrels and realign and repair the island in the spring before they fill the island with concrete. This island is only a few months old, and the curb is black with tire marks. What does that tell you? This is a hazard that requires immediate attention! CDOT needs to acknowledge its blunder and take action.

Rob Rietveld

Durango